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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — a trail
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cue — for pool
  6. hand — in cards
  7. game — wild animals
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. game — a match
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cue — a signal
  13. charge — electricity
  14. tube — the underground
  15. hand — help
  16. charge — in control
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. cue — a hint
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. charge — a price
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. cap — a lid
  24. tube — a container

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com